The Electoral Commission says it is ready for the first national voter registration weekend, which takes place today, June 20, and Sunday.

KwaZulu-Natal remains the province with the highest number of registered voters in South Africa, and electoral officials are encouraging residents to use the weekend to register, update their details and confirm their voting stations ahead of next year’s local government elections.

All 5,021 voting stations across the province will be open during the registration weekend. This represents an increase of 47 voting stations since the 2024 national elections.

In the Endumeni, there are 24 voting districts where residents can register or update their details. There are 63 voting stations in the Dannhauser municipal area.

These stations are spread across the 13 wards that make up the Dannhauser Local Municipality.

There are 116 voting stations across the Nquthu Local Municipality, which are spread across its 17 municipal wards.

You can look up the specific locations, addresses, and operating hours for each of these stations by entering your address directly into the IEC Voting Station Finder.

The province has also seen the number of wards increase from 901 to 921 following municipal boundary realignments by the Municipal Demarcation Board. As a result, more than 1,100 voting districts have been affected by ward boundary changes.

Ward boundary changes could affect where residents vote

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said many voters may need to re-register to ensure their details appear on the correct voters’ roll.

“We’re trying to make sure that people understand that if they were in Ward 1 and are now in Ward 2, they need to re-register so that their name appears on the Ward 2 voters’ roll,” she explained.

Masinga warned that voters who fail to update their details could arrive at polling stations on election day only to discover that they are registered elsewhere.

“People will show up at voting stations and find their names are no longer there. Chances are they won’t vote if they have to be moved from one station to another,” she said.

The commission has already updated the registration information of more than 93,000 voters, but estimates this represents only about 25% of those who need to re-register because of the boundary changes.

The Electoral Commission stressed that voting is one of the most important rights in a democracy, allowing residents to have a direct say in who governs their communities and how local resources are allocated. Officials are encouraging all eligible residents, particularly first-time voters and those affected by boundary changes, to verify their registration details before election day to avoid disappointment.

Residents can visit their nearest voting station this weekend to register, update their details or confirm where they are eligible to vote.

You can also register online or check which ward you are registered in by clicking here.

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